Dr. Sean Gallagher specializes in adult orthopedic reconstructive surgery and sports medicine. Dr. Gallagher is especially interested in arthroscopic surgery, replacement arthroplasty (joint replacement), and osteoarthritis. The average patient rating for Dr. Gallagher is 5.0 stars out of 5. He accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Gold, and more. Dr. Gallagher is a graduate of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine. For his residency, Dr. Gallagher trained at a hospital affiliated with the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. In addition to English, he speaks Medical Spanish. His hospital/clinic affiliations include Seton Medical Center Austin, the University Medical Center Brackenridge, and Seton Northwest Hospital. Dr. Gallagher has an open panel.

Dr. Emily Bratton is an Austin, TX physician who specializes in ophthalmology (eye disease). After completing medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, she performed her residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of Colorado Denver. Clinical interests for Dr. Bratton include chin implants, TCA peel, and radiesse. Dr. Bratton is an in-network provider for several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Gold. She is affiliated with Seton Medical Center Austin, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, and the University Medical Center Brackenridge.

Dr. Viet Tran's areas of specialization are spine surgery and orthopedics/orthopedic surgery; he sees patients in Austin, TX and Round Rock, TX. His education and training includes medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine and residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. In his practice, Dr. Tran focuses on extreme lateral lumbar interbody fusion and lower back problems. Dr. Tran is in-network for Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, TriWest, and more. In addition to English, Dr. Tran speaks Vietnamese. He is professionally affiliated with Seton Medical Center Austin, the University Medical Center Brackenridge, and Seton Northwest Hospital. New patients are welcome to contact his office for an appointment.

Dr. Ned Snyder works as a facial plastic surgeon. These areas are among Dr. Snyder's clinical interests: eyelid surgery, dermabrasion, and vaginoplasty. He is professionally affiliated with Seton Medical Center Austin, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, and the University Medical Center Brackenridge. He is a graduate of the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine. Dr. Snyder completed his residency training at a hospital affiliated with the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Patient reviews placed him at an average of 4.0 stars out of 5. Aetna EPO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze are among the insurance carriers that Dr. Snyder takes. Distinctions awarded to Dr. Snyder include: HCA Hospitals SDMC - Physician Frist Award; Austin Area Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses- Distinguished Surgeon; and Texas Monthly Super Doctor.

Dr. Tanuj Nakra is a specialist in ophthalmic plastic surgery. His clinical interests include dermabrasion, botox injection, and restylane silk. He is professionally affiliated with Seton Medical Center Austin, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, and the University Medical Center Brackenridge. Dr. Nakra obtained his medical school training at Rush Medical College and performed his residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Patients rated him highly, giving him an average of 5.0 stars out of 5. Dr. Nakra is an in-network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Gold, in addition to other insurance carriers. His distinctions include: Texas Super Doctors; Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Society; and RealSelf Top Doctor.

Dr. Malena Amato's medical specialty is ophthalmic plastic surgery. Patients gave Dr. Amato an average rating of 5.0 stars out of 5. Clinical interests for Dr. Amato include facial problems, radiesse, and restylane. She is affiliated with Seton Medical Center Austin, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, and the University Medical Center Brackenridge. Dr. Amato is in-network for Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Gold, in addition to other insurance carriers. She graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine. For her professional training, Dr. Amato completed a residency program at Georgetown University Hospital. Awards and/or distinctions Dr. Amato has received include Texas Super Doctors; Best Doctors of America; and Top Doctors, Oakland Magazine.

Dr. Andrew Ebert sees patients in Austin, TX and Cedar Park, TX. His medical specialties are foot & ankle surgery and orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. Dr. Ebert has a 4.0 out of 5 star average patient rating. He is especially interested in foot problems and ankle problems. He is affiliated with Seton Medical Center Austin, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, and the University Medical Center Brackenridge. Dr. Ebert is an in-network provider for Aetna EPO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and more. He studied medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine. He trained at a hospital affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine for residency. Dr. Ebert's distinctions include: Texas Rising Stars and Texas Super Doctors.

Dr. Gregg Vagner is a medical specialist in hand surgery and orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. Dr. Vagner's professional affiliations include Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, the University Medical Center Brackenridge, and Seton Northwest Hospital. He attended medical school at Baylor College of Medicine. Patient reviews placed him at an average of 2.5 stars out of 5. He accepts Aetna EPO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and more.

Dr. C. Malone is a medical specialist in orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. He is rated 4.0 stars out of 5 by his patients. He honors Aetna EPO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, as well as other insurance carriers. Dr. Malone is a graduate of Duke University School of Medicine.

Dr. Stephen Pearce works as a hand surgeon and orthopedist in Austin, TX. He graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. His patients gave him an average rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars. Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Gold are among the insurance carriers that Dr. Pearce accepts. He has received professional recognition including the following: Texas Super Doctors. Dr. Pearce's hospital/clinic affiliations include Seton Medical Center Austin, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, and the University Medical Center Brackenridge.

Dr. Sean Paul's specialty is ophthalmic plastic surgery. His patients gave him an average rating of 5.0 out of 5 stars. His areas of expertise include the following: facial problems, rosacea, and dermabrasion. Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Gold are among the insurance carriers that Dr. Paul honors. He attended medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine. Dr. Paul trained at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center for residency. His hospital/clinic affiliations include Seton Medical Center Austin, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, and the University Medical Center Brackenridge.

Bariatric or weight-loss surgery is a surgical procedure performed to help significantly obese patients lose weight when more traditional methods, such as dieting and exercise, have not helped. Depending on the type, these surgeries change the gastrointestinal tract to limit how much food can be eaten and also change how food is absorbed by the body. Of the various bariatric surgeries available, the most common is gastric bypass.

By far the most common of the gastric bypass surgeries is called “Roux-en-Y.” During this surgery, part of the stomach and small intestine are detached from the gastrointestinal tract, in order to make the tract smaller. The surgeon divides the stomach into two parts. The working stomach, at the end of the esophagus, is now tiny - only the size of a walnut. This makes patients feel full after eating a small amount of food. Then the small intestine is also divided, and after bypassing a section of the small intestine to reduce food absorption, the intestine is attached to the small stomach pouch. The patient now has a working stomach and intestine like before, only much smaller.

Because gastric bypass is used to treat extreme obesity, it can reduce the risk of some of the problems associated with obesity. Gastric bypass can help treat or reduce the risk for such conditions as heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes. However, it is a major surgery and also carries risks itself. Any surgery can lead to infection, bleeding, or blood clots, and weight loss surgery in particular carries risks of leaks in the gastrointestinal system, malnutrition, bowel obstructions, and vomiting.

Typically patients are considered candidates for gastric bypass surgery if they have a BMI greater than 40, or sometimes if they have a BMI between 35 and 40 but are suffering from obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes. The outlook is generally good, with most patients losing between 50-75% of their excess weight in 1-2 years. However, patients must follow strict diet guidelines so that the stomach can heal, starting with no food at all, then followed by a liquid diet for some time. For many severely obese patients who have tried strict diets before without success, gastric bypass surgery is the tool that allows them to finally achieve their weight loss and health goals.

Cardiothoracic surgery is the medical specialty that provides surgical care for the chest. Most often this means heart or lung surgery, but it can also include surgery on the esophagus, breastbone, or chest wall. Some cardiothoracic surgeons may specialize in the surgical treatment of children, or focus on a specific organ or surgical procedure.

Some of the diseases and procedures that a cardiothoracic surgeon might handle include:

Coronary artery disease

Heart valve surgery

Lung cancer

Cancer of the esophagus

GERD, or severe acid reflux

Heart or lung transplants

Cardiothoracic surgeons may use various types of imaging, such as an electrocardiogram or CT scan, to diagnose problems and plan the operation. They may also offer minimally invasive surgery or robotic surgery, if appropriate, to lower the risk of scarring and infection.

Cardiothoracic surgery is an older medical specialty, but it is still one of the most amazing. Often patients who need a cardiothoracic surgeon are extremely sick, suffering from an illness that will kill them without intervention. With surgery, however, they often make a complete recovery.

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What is Minimally Invasive Surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery is surgery performed using tiny tools and several small incisions instead of one large one. First performed in the 1980s, minimally invasive surgery has now become commonly used for all kinds of procedures because it offers so many benefits over traditional surgery.

Since minimally invasive surgery minimizes the amount of injury that a patient experiences by avoiding a large incision, it typically results in fewer issues after surgery. There tend to be fewer stitches needed, less scarring, less pain, a faster recovery time, and a lower risk of infection. Some minimally invasive procedures even require less anesthesia than usual.

There are three main types of minimally invasive surgery:

Laparoscopic surgery, where several small incisions are made. A tiny camera is inserted into one, and the surgeon looks at the procedure on a video screen while moving tools through the other openings.

Endoscopic surgery, which is performed using an endoscope. An endoscope is a thin, hollow tube that contains a camera. It can be inserted either through a small incision or an existing opening such as the nose. Tiny tools can be passed through the tube to the area that needs to be worked on.

Robotic surgery, which uses tools that are even smaller and more precise than laparoscopic tools. The tools and camera are inserted through a small opening, and then the surgeon controls the robot from a computer in another room.

Minimally invasive surgery is not the right choice in every situation. However in many cases, it makes surgery less difficult to handle.